April 9, 2018. For 25 years, drummer Sherrie Maricle has led the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, an all-female orchestra founded by Stanley Kay. The musical entrepreneur who managed Buddy Rich, saw something special in Maricle, and she delivered.
Even after Kay’s passing, Sherrie has managed to keep the band together, constantly performing and recording. The DIVA Jazz Orchestra 25th Anniversary Project highlights the talents of these ladies of jazz in a very special way.
To celebrate 25 years, Maricle and band members composed all new music. What they’ve created highlights their energy and musical diversity. The solos were composed with the players in mind, so the album really flows.
The solos were composed with the players in mind, so the album really flows. “La Americana,” composed by pianist Tomoko Ohno, brings a Latin flare to the mix. Hints of the Middle East can be detected in “Middleground,” written by clarinetist Janelle Reichman.
Some tunes swing. There are ballads that tug at your heartstrings. And all of them are originals, a rare occurrence for an album by a jazz orchestra. But so is hitting the 25 year mark as a continually operating jazz orchestra.
What better way to celebrate than creating some great new music.